Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Manion.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nicole. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My life in the hospitality industry began in Michigan, bartending my way through college where I studied Photography, Digital Layout, and Web Design. Always wanting to move to Chicago, I pulled the trigger December 3rd, 2006. While trying to gain a foothold in Graphic Design I found myself behind the bar at Quartino. I moved to the city without knowing a soul and used the restaurant industry as a segue to meet people, gain a social life and get adjusted to the city. After a year at Quartino and an effort to separate my personal life from my work life (coworkers became roommates and boyfriends), I started working at The Gage – A restaurant that opened my eyes to the culinary world like never before. I learned about food, wine, and hospitality in a professional setting that won my heart. How was I to transition into Graphic Design now? Not to mention, the money as a cocktail waitress was way too good to walk away from. Smack dab in front of Millennium Park on Michigan Ave I was swapping stories with people from all over the world. I had sheets and sheets of paper that said “Andy, Dogfish – two kids, construction” to remember regulars – these regulars became my friends, my Chicago family. I remember one regular sent me a picture of his twin daughters just born in the hospital – thinking “haha, I’m his waitress!” It was a very cool chapter in my life.
After 5 years, I decided to leave The Gage, work for a friend at a new restaurant closer to home in Wicker Park and start a charity. Un’86d was a charity that provided monetary relief to restaurant workers in need. After a year in Wicker Park I decided to go back to The Gage, and after a few months they asked me to be the Marketing Director – how was I to say no?! It was a great job for a company I knew very well, loved and respected. For the next two years I learned more about myself and my abilities then I think I had ever at this point. I was pushed to boundaries I didn’t know I had. I’m beyond grateful for the team at The Gage taking a chance on me and placing me into my new career. In 2015, I married John Manion – owner and Executive Chef of La Sirena Clandestina and El Che Bar. Once married, it didn’t seem right to promote and bleed for someone else’s brand when I should be doing it for our own. January 1st, 2016 Un86’d started to fizzle and I started working for my husband. At first, it was rocky but after a bottle of rose and a conversation about passion, goals, and ambition we have become the strongest team ever and I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else. I’m so happy and blessed to wake up every day and work with my partner in life. It’s funny how things come full circle, I once jumped jobs to separate personal and work life, and now I’m happier than ever to have them blended.
Has it been a smooth road?
I feel grateful for my journey, I have worked with and for people that I have a huge amount of respect for. Has it been easy? No. Has it been rewarding? Yes. I think the biggest reward is knowing that I have grown and I have changed into a more confident person in this industry. Once unsure and second guessing, I now stand my ground and firmly support all that I believe in. When I worked at The Gage I worked for a woman, Catherine Gilmore-Lawless who is a total badass… smart, confident, an amazing woman. She pushed me to ask questions that made me embarrassed and ask questions that I was sure the answer was going to be no. She opened my eyes to different angles and approaches that resulted in “yes” and I saw that confidence is power. She’s the reason I’m able to do the job I have today with a strong head on my shoulders. In an industry that is often referred to as a “boys club”, I found my role model and I was a sponge – every time she talked, I listened. My advice for women starting their journey – strong women are not your competition – they are your mentors, join forces and become one of them and teach those that follow you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into El Che Bar story. Tell us more about the business.
I came into La Sirena Clandestina when it had already been established for three years. I helped build El Che Bar. I’m the Director of Operations, focusing on Marketing, Community Outreach, Private Events and Team Building. I’m most proud of the growth and direction that both restaurants have taken. We have teams in place that can now do the job better than I can. My GM’s are rockstars and without them, I wouldn’t be able to step away and focus on the bigger picture. It wasn’t easy but I’m grateful that we have gotten to this point. The last two years have been a rollercoaster. I’ve worked long hours in the restaurants, open to close to get the jobs done. I cried, almost quit and wanted to move away – but every day I woke up and did what we had to do to get here. Where we are now (I better not be jinxing it) was worth all of it. The part I love most about this job is the relationships, the relationships with co-workers, regulars, strangers, vendors… so many different people walk into and out of your life and they all leave a mark. I love that a hospitality professional knows a woman is pregnant before her close friends and family as we help keep her secret serving her “vodka soda”. I love that a gentleman down the street comes in for dinner and drink every Tuesday. I love that I know very little about a woman named Deborah yet she is one of my favorite people. I love that guests from the restaurants over time have become best friends and sit at our Thanksgiving table, I love that our employees bring in their family members and parents and without skipping a beat we hug. When you work in a restaurant the people you work with become your life. You all share strong emotions of stress, frustration, happiness and anger that bond you and even though you don’t know their favorite color or where they live – you trust them – because they will have your back (hopefully, lol).
I think that thoughtfulness is important when you are the boss. You can be direct, you can be hard, you can be demanding but at the end of the day you have to be compassionate, respectful, thoughtful and remember you are managing people, people with a life outside of your restaurant, a life you might know nothing about.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Don’t say you’re sorry – following up with “I’m sorry” is overused and weakens your voice. If someone is explaining to you something they think you did wrong or misunderstood – answer “Heard” “I understand” “I see” anything but “I’m sorry” – If you say I’m sorry then ask yourself why are you sorry – what did you do wrong… if they answer is nothing – then, why did you say it? Did you step on someone’s toe? Be sorry. Did you forget to turn off the lights when you closed the restaurant? “I thought they were on a timer, won’t happen again”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elchebarchicago.com | www.lasirenachicago.com
- Email: info@elchebarchicago.com | info@lasirenachicago.com
- Instagram: @elchebarchicago | @lasirenachicago
Image Credit:
Jenna Heslin, Huge Galdones, Nicole Manion
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